ST PAUL, Minn. — Tuesday, April 28
2 p.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) used its daily phone briefing Tuesday to give an update on the scope of COVID-19 testing in the state.
MDH reported an additional 365 cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, by far the largest one-day increase yet in the pandemic.
Jan Malcolm, MDH Commissioner, said that spike is largely due to an increase in testing. Last week, Gov. Tim Walz announced that the state has teamed up with the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic to provide "widespread" testing throughout the state.
The goal is to offer diagnostic tests to 20,000 Minnesotans per day, and serology tests to detect antibodies to 15,000 per day. Malcolm and Walz have both said that it will take a few weeks to build up to that level.
"With more testing, we will see more cases," MDH Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann warned. "People should not be shocked or concerned. ... Now we have a chance to actually measure what's happening in the community.
In response to a question about the death rate in Minnesota, Ehresmann also pointed out that the state is focusing testing on a higher-risk segment of the population. She said that is why the death rate appears high compared to those in some other states.
MDH Assistant Commissioner Dan Huff pointed out that the number of tests performed in the most recent 24-hour period - 2,412 - has more than doubled since last week.
"That’s good news," Huff said. 'We’re not where we need to be on testing. We know that this is a ramp-up. It is not something that you flip a light switch and it comes on, but rather we are increasing capacity every day."
Huff said they are moving toward “unprecedented” levels of testing and are working to train more staff members to handle the influx.
Some of the testing the state is focusing on is called "serology" testing. That's a process for measuring antibodies that a person may have built up after contracting COVID-19 and then recovering.
Dr. Ruth Lynfield, Minnesota's state epidemiologist, said that the most important factor is whether those antibodies are "protective" or not, and can keep someone from getting the virus again.
"We just don't have that information yet," she said. "We also don't know, if there is protection, how long it lasts. Does it last for six months? Does it last for a year? Does it last for two years?"
Lynfield said they also want to use antibody testing to help them understand how many people have already had COVID-19. Their purpose for this is two-fold: MDH wants to better determine the scope of the pandemic in Minnesota, but they also want to identify those who have already had the virus in order to use their plasma to help those currently infected recover.
There are more than 100 serologic tests out there and some are "not as accurate" as others, Lynfield said. "These tests are not 100% sensitive or 100% specific," she said.
"This is a new virus, so we are really learning as we go," Lynfield said.
With another virus like measles, for instance, Lynfield pointed out that those who have had the disease or been immunized "develop very strong immunity." Influenza, on the other hand, changes so much that "the immunity is much more short-lived." Lynfield said that's why we come out with a new vaccine every year.
"What we are hoping with coronavirus is that there will be protective immunity, because that is what is going to get us out of this pandemic," she said. "When there is a high enough proportion of the population that has protective immunity then transmission of the virus fizzles out."
Lynfield said that often if enough of the population has either been infected or vaccinated, then a virus will stop circulating for extended periods of time. That's been the case with measles in the U.S.
"It will go and find the person who does not have antibodies and infect them but it doesn't keep going around and around," Lynfield said.
Researchers do not yet know what proportion of the population will need o contract COVID-19 - or get a vaccine - to develop "herd immunity."
"It depends on how transmissible it is, it depends on how longstanding and protective the immunity it is," Lynfield said. "Some scientists have estimated that it needs to be in the range of 80-90%. And if that is the case, we really hope we will have an effective vaccine because that will be the most effective way to ensure high rates of immunity."
Lynfield said she is hopeful that coronavirus antibodies will offer protection from contracting the virus again.
"I think, though, that it may not be the case that it will have lifelong immunity," she said. "But I'm hopeful that there will be immunity for a period of time."
With the information we have now, though, Dr. Lynfield emphasized that someone who has had the virus cannot assume they are immune or that they don't need to social distance.
"We just don't have that information and the stakes of making a mistake are just too high," she said.
11 a.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is reporting 365 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, the largest one-day increase since the pandemic made its way into Minnesota.
Along with the new cases, which brings the total to 4,181, MDH is also reporting 15 additional deaths from complications of the coronavirus, which pushes the number of fatalities from the virus to 301.
Of those who have died from the virus, 83% are age 70 or above. Those age 60 to 69 make up 13% of the fatalities. MDH statistics indicate no one age 39 or younger has died from COVID-19 in Minnesota.
Patients who have needed hospitalization to treat their COVID-19 symptoms are now at 912, up from the 861 reported Monday. Today 314 people are hospitalized with the coronavirus, 120 with symptoms severe enough to require treatment in the ICU.
MDH says 1,912 people who tested positive have recovered enough to no longer require isolation.
The state continues to ramp up its testing numbers, with results from 2,561 patients coming in the last day. A total of 63,829 people have been tested in MDH and outside labs since late January.
Of those testing positive for the virus, 26% were likely exposed in a congregate or long term care setting. That includes both patients and staff members. Unknown is listed as the likely exposure for another 26%, while 15% are listed as community transmission with no known contact. Travel is listed as the likely exposure for 11% of those who tested positive.
Monday, April 27
2 p.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) used their daily briefing call Monday to update the public on how meat processing plants in Minnesota are preparing to weather the COVID-19 pandemic.
MDH Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann said MDH began proactive outreach for meat processing facilities after the closure of the Smithfield plant in Sioux Falls.
"Just started a conversation with them about some of the things that they should be thinking about," Ehresmann said.
Over the last week and a half, "we started to see situations evolving in Minnesota," she said, including identifying a cluster of cases at JBS in Worthington.
MDH worked with local health officials to address that situation, Ehresmann said, and sent someone to tour the plant and offer guidance for distancing and screening.
Local public health agencies will take the lead with the facilities in their community, Ehresmann said, while MDH acts as a resource and provides guidance and recommendations. She said MDH does not have regulatory power of the plants.
Last week MDH held a call with vegetable canning plants, as well, as they begin to ramp up their work for the summer season.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen highlighted that a plant in Windom went down last week, and now is back up and "running very well."
However, "this continues to be a very difficult situation for our farmers, with these plants that are down," Petersen said.
With the reduced capacity of these plants to process meat, farmers will struggle to manage the increased number of animals, he said.
"There just simply will be too many animals, hogs and chickens, to handle despite our efforts, and we will be needing to euthanize some animals," he said.
"For now our food supply is stable," Petersen said, although consumers will see some disruptions and some higher prices.
Roughly 50% of Minnesota's capacity to process hogs has been lost, according to Petersen, between Smithfield and JBS. He said they are looking for homes for between 100,000 and 200,000 hogs in the coming weeks. He said some chickens have had to be euthanized, as well.
"It's a tremendous impact, it's very difficult for our farmers, our farm communities," Petersen said. "The decision to euthanize animals is not done easily and it's very emotional."
Petersen said there could be higher prices depending on how plants get back up and running. Right now, though, he said he thinks they're stable because of the supply that's currently in storage.
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Commissioner Nancy Leppink said their department has developed guidelines, in partnership with other state departments, on how meat processing facilities can protect their workers from the virus.
"Those guidelines basically adhere and address the core principles of the CDC guidelines," she said, in terms of distancing, cleaning, hygiene, and screening workers.
Since those guidelines were put into place, Leppink said, companies are reviewing their procedures and making necessary changes, including provision of personal protective equipment (PPE).
She said they are not doing routine site visits at the facilities, but are addressing specific plants based on receipt of complaints, or when they see spikes in workers testing positive.
11 a.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 14 additional deaths Monday, bringing the total of those who have died of complications from the coronavirus to 286. Among the fatalities, 84% are above the age of 70. Many of those were living in long term or congregate care settings.
The number of cases confirmed by positive tests is now at 3,816, an increase of 214 cases from the 3,602 reported Sunday. MDH says 27% of those cases were likely transmitted in congregate care settings, 16% were community transmissions with no known contact with an infected person, and 12% through travel. Health care settings involving staff members involve 9% of the known transmissions.
Hennepin County has the most positive COVID-19 cases with 1,416, followed by Nobles County at 399, Ramsey County at 297, and Olmsted County at 246.
Since the start of the pandemic 861 people have been hospitalized for treatment, including 292 that are in the hospital today. Of those patients, 122 have symptoms serious enough that they require treatment in the ICU.
MDH says 1,842 of those who have contracted the virus have recovered sufficiently that they no longer require isolation.
In total, 61,286 Minnesotans have been tested for COVID-19, including 2,210 in the past day.
9 a.m.
Senator Amy Klobuchar's husband has joined an experimental plasma treatment program involving donors who have recovered from COVID-19.
John Bessler was hospitalized after contracting the coronavirus in mid-March. The 52-year-old law professor developed a high fever, but then checked into the hospital after coughing up blood. X-rays showed that he had pneumonia, a serious complication of the virus, and tests showed that he had low oxygen.
Bessler recovered and is now part of the Expanded Access Program for Convalescent Plasma, which involves giving patients an infusion of antibody-rich plasma from people who have recovered from an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. Bessler was the seventh person to donate his plasma at the Mayo Clinic.
“I was proud to be one of the first participants in this innovative treatment program at the Mayo Clinic,” said Bessler. “I encourage all others who have recovered from COVID-19 to also consider donating their plasma to help develop potential remedies to this virus that is impacting so many people across Minnesota and the country.”
"We are working with physicians and hospitals across the nation to determine if antibody-rich plasma donated by patients who have recovered from COVID-19 can help fight the virus in patients with active COVID-19 disease," said anesthesiologist Michael J. Joyner, M.D., principal investigator of the Expanded Access Program for Convalescent Plasma.
Thousands of additional patients have participated nationwide as the Mayo Clinic and hospitals across the country encourage anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and recovered to donate plasma. Check out this website for more information.
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The state of Minnesota has set up a hotline for general questions about coronavirus at 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903, available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
